Friday Funnies #9

This Friday Funnies is a bit long (8:23) but so totally worth it!!!  It's the classic tale of "The Three Little Pigs" as done in Shakespearean tone.

John Branyan - The Three Little Pigs 

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Things I Love Thursday

So I've seen a few things around lately that I wanted to share and it doesn't quite fit a Thursday Latelies post (gasp...could I possibly be thinking to starting those up again?!) so I figured I'd try a Things I Love Thursday post (as seen on Little Cheif Honeybee).


1. What EVERY Target shopper NEEDS to know

EVERY Target shopper NEEDS to know this:

****If the price ends in 8, it will be marked down again****

If it ends in a 4, it’s the lowest it will be.

Target’s mark down schedule:

MONDAY: Kids’ Clothing, Stationery (office supplies, gift wrap), Electronics.

TUESDAY: Women’s Clothing and Domestics.

WEDNESDAY: Men’s Clothing, Toys, Health and Beauty.

THURSDAY: Lingerie, Shoes, Housewares.

FRIDAY: cosmetics

Via Thank you, ehretha! 

(stolen from Kaelah)

2. These FANFREAKINGTASTIC shoes/DIY

Via

via

The easy as pie DYI can be found here.  Not that I've ever made a pie or that I think they would be easy to make.  But for those who like pie...or, in this case, comic book shoes...it's totally worth the effort!

3. Rediscovering my Material Issue "International Pop Overthrow" CD (circa 1991)

Since Remington ate my (new) iTravel Friday night (it was only 20 days old) I have been forced to listen to my CD's while in the car.  I decided to grab something I don't usually go for when I grab my CD's.  

Material Issue "International Pop Overthrow

Material Issue "Very First Lie"

Material Issue "Trouble"

Once

So I finally got around to watching the Irish musical film "Once", which was released in 2007.  I've wanted to see it since it came out but never got around to it.  It won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film, had the song "Falling Slowly" receive an Academy Award for Best Original Song and was turned into a Broadway play last year.  Seems I'm always more than fashionably late to some things.  I've seen "Once" in the library and grabbed it once but the disc was missing.  When I was out sick last week I was able to finally get it but never got around to watching it until this weekend.  

When Irish came over to pick me up for our second date he saw it and commented that he used to live on the street in the film.  I'd totally forgot it was a foreign film or that it was an Irish one at that. Coincidences are so amusing sometimes.  Either way I think I scored some extra points with Irish for having it.  

It was about 20 minutes into the movie when I completely fell in love with it.  The Irishness of it all didn't hurt but it is honestly a brilliant & beautiful film.  The talent of the two leads (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova) is amazing and the music they make together is so raw (Glen), haunting (Marketa) and beautiful.  

Seeing the film & hearing the music has changed my life.  Overly dramatic.  Probably.  It is just a film and music.  But it's a power film & music.  I made a Glen Hansard station on Pandora and there has not been one song I've not liked or have skipped over since programming it in Sunday, and I've listen to it every morning & evening since then.  Out of my 25+ Pandora stations that's never happened before.  

I've found so many amazing artists from that station.  Between my 3 FREE weekly MP3 downloads from the library & $5 Amazon money (thank you music surveys!) I now have 8 new songs... 7 of which are favorites off my new Pandora station.

New songs:

"Boston"  Augustana  

"First Day of My Life" Bright Eyes  

"Falling Slowly" Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova/The Swell Season 

"Flightless Bird, American Mouth" Iron & Wine  The Shepherd's Dog

"Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop" Landon Pigg Coffee Shop

"Hallelujah" Jeff Buckley Grace (Legacy Edition)

"If You Want Me" Marketa Irglova & Glen Hansard Music From The Motion Picture Once

"Smoke And Mirrors" Gotye Making Mirrors

I think aside from Glen Hansard (the "Once" soundtrack, The Frames & The Swell Season) of course, that Iron and Wine, and Ray LaMontagne are my most favorite new musical loves.  I've been circling around Ray LaMontagne but just sort of found other music to buy & concentrate on.  And I know, it's shameful but I'm not sure how I have gone so long not having Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah".  After this week I totally HAD. TO. HAVE. IT. 

So if you have no idea what I'm talking about have a listen...

"Falling Slowly" - Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
And moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
Well you have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

Best. First. Date. Ever...

Okay, just a word of warning... I'm going to go all GIRL! and geek out in tons of detail about my date last night.

Considering there were no yachts, hot air balloons, or trips to Vegas saying Best. First. Date. Ever. might seem like an overstatement.  But really when considering first dates and the awkwardness involved (especially when you don't really know each other) it really doesn't come down to what you do that can make a difference between a good first date, a bad first date, or a Best. Date. Ever. date.  It's all about how you do it.  Which some of you reading this right now need to get your minds out of the gutter...(TYLER!).

I'm sure there are going to be lots of giggles & snarks when I tell you what we did last night.  It sounds a bit ridiculous... especially for two grown ups in their (EARLY) 30's.  But it seriously was the best time.  I wouldn't say it was easy, because easy isn't the right word, but it was... comfortable and not awkward, even when it was awkward.  Like extremely comfortable for having only met once before (for a few hours) and we never were alone together or had any real one on one time at the party.  Which it why we never exchanged phone numbers and had to use Jeremy as a middle man to get this whole ball rolling.  

Anyway, so we met at a bar by the mall (which I picked because it was in between where we both work) and had a drink (or two) and talked for almost 2 hours.  Then we went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and shared cheesecake for dessert (he even offered me the last strawberry).  And then, for the best part... we walked around the mall after dinner.  Seriously.  In. The. Mall. and we held hands while doing it.  Which he ended up asking if he was out of line doing since I jumped when he first did it but I was not prepared for that.  Not on a first date.  Is that unusual? Am I weird?  I don't know if I'm usually not open enough for a guy to try to hold hands on a first date or if I've just dated guys who weren't into that kind of display on a date.  It was totally sweet & charming.  He kept offering to grab his cardigan (so Irish!) out of his car because I was cold in the restaurant and even offered his top shirt (a button up) at one point.  It's okay... I awwwwed too.  

My obsession love for shoes came up and he offered to go look at shoes.  Offered with a straight face and was totally sincere about it.  Not one to push my luck I didn't take advantage and just wandered closer to the shoe section if something really caught my eye.  He kept asking me if I wanted to try any on and swears he doesn't have a shoe fetish.  I always declined, mostly because really it would have been weird.  I've never had a guy willingly look at & let me try on shoes before. Either he really doesn't mind accompanying someone when they're shopping or he was also on his very best behavior.  We spent a lot of time in the Lego store so it wasn't all about shoes.  He appreciates the geekier things in like.  

His powers of observation are off the chart.  After a pair of dark purple wedges (suede with round studs along the line where the wedge & shoe top meet...they were so veryvery pretty!) caught my eye in a window he commented on how I really liked purple.  I was impressed because there was a pair of black ones right next to it and I didn't say anything about what I was looking at...I just sort of sighed, stopped & pointed in the general direction.  When I confirmed purple was my favorite color he said the color suited my coloring & would look good on me.  Then he said something about how nice I looked but it was in a cute & charming way.  Like using the word fetching or something most American men wouldn't use.  I'm not sure how he figured out the purple thing.  I wasn't wearing purple, I didn't have purple on when we first met, I never mentioned purple and the only purple I had with me was what was on my purse.  So if I eyed a lot of purple stuff I wasn't even paying enough attention to notice.  

I did totally geek out on him & made him repeat himself when he said something totally "Irish".  We were talking about pets & he said he liked cats but wasn't big on dogs as in... "I'm not all wackado for dogs."  Wackado?! Really, how could I not ask him to repeat himself (3 times!)?!  Cutest thing ever!  

Also, after we closed down the mall.  So hard core, I know.  We went back the the bar we started out at because we apparently weren't sick of each other yet.  The bar has stray cats living in the courtyard area.  It's a little tiny black & white mom & two (?) BABY! kittens!  One is black & white like her and the other is all back.  SO. STINKIN'. CUTE!  Anyway, Irish offered to order food so we could feed them because they were hungry.  It was so sad but I declined because really what would you order a cat and her BABY! kittens! at a sports bar so they wouldn't get sick?  Plus, really I'm a bleeding heart but I don't know if I'd order food just for a stray cat(s).  I'd give them half (or more) of my own dish if I'd had one. *Sigh*  I can't think about it anymore or I'm going to feel guilty we didn't feed them.  

It was probably later than it should have been when I decided I needed to go home & go to bed (you know...so I didn't totally hate work today).  He walked me to my car and after gauging if I'd jackrabbit away or not moved in to kiss me.  That's when I got all AWESOME KERRI!, got all squirrelly and chatty.  Overtly so but I'd been so good all night.  I did manage to stand my ground, didn't jackrabbit away, and totally enjoyed being kissed my a super tall Irish hottie!  He eventually apologized for detaining me & not letting me go home.  Really...detaining?!  So dang cute!

  

So we have a date tomorrow.  Details pending...  

*SIGH*

Wish me luck...

Apparently I didn't need an online dating site to get a date.  I just needed my BFF's husband.  


Okay, maybe there was a bit more involved than that but that was the essentials.  


I am super excited!  And I'm super excited that I'm super excited!  When I was on POF I just really wanted to go on one date I was actually excited for.  Obviously that didn't happen.  To have a date (tonight!), one that I didn't have to arrange blindly (POF), and that is with a guy who is (already) interesting (extremely so) is all sorts of gravy on top.


He's tall (6'5"), dark (dark brown hair), handsome and Irish (from actual Ireland).  He pretty much had me at 6'5" but then he had me again at Irish.  I am a sucker for a tall guy.  I'm even more of a sucker for one with an accent.   It's not a heavy accent like the Lucky Charm's Leprechaun or the foreign exchange student on Glee but it is there, and super cute.  I'm hoping I don't geek out on him and make him repeat himself when he says something totally cute & Irish.  


Oh, and then he had me even more when I realized he had a huge bandage on his nose because he fell down (on his face!).  I can maybe teach this guy how to trip & fall with some grace next time.  Or at least with less injury.  I'm not sure if grace is the right word for being able to trip & fall without hurting yourself (much).


I'm not too worried about totally embarrassing myself tonight which, depending on how you look at it, is a good thing... I guess.  See I already did that, totally embarrassed myself on the night we met.  Jeremy & Karie hosted a work party for Jeremy and when there was only the 4 of us left we ended up played ping pong.  And by we played ping pong I mean Karie & Irish played.  Remember how I've mentioned I lack coordination for any kind of sport?  Part of the problem is my hand eye coordination.  It is severely lacking.  And by lacking I'm pretty sure it's non-existent.  I tried to play and after a few minutes of not hitting the ball (or even being anywhere close to hitting the ball) I gave up.  I was so bad I actually surprised myself by how bad I was.  It, of course, sent Karie into hysterics... which I pretty much was already in so there was snorting.  So really all I have to knock off my list is to fall down in front of him and to accidentally flick food on him.  I'm hoping to save some of that for another time though.


He's here in AZ for work and will eventually be going back to Ireland, which so far is the only real mark against him.  Which isn't too shabby considering by now I've usually got a pretty good list of things going against a guy.  So when I say I'm super excited I'm not sure the words super excited are accurate enough.


He's pretty funny.  Hilarious, even.  Like keep me on my toes sense of humor.  When I asked if he had any ideas on what to do for our date (via text, of course, the only proper way to communicate in the 21st century) his answer was this...
"How about dinner, drinks, balloon ride, a trip on a yacht, fireworks display... whatever you're up for but choose carefully because some things might take time to arrange."
I almost died from laughing.  My response was...
"Really with a list like that how does one choose?! Although you do know yachts are hard to find in AZ...  We could just run away together to Vegas and make it easier." 


So, yeah....excited.

In Case You've Been Living Under a Rock...

Fun. just released the next single off their sophomore album, both titled Some Nights.  If you haven't heard it yet YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT.  Seriously, do your ears a favor and take a listen.  You know, in case you haven't heard it a million times on the radio yet. 


Same goes for the video they just released for it last week...  It's like a mini movie.  It's sort of epic...and a whole bunch of awesome!

Some Nights (Intro) & Some Nights are my go to songs to listen to when...well, whenever.  When I'm sad.  When I'm mad.  When I'm happy.  When I'm pumped.   When I'm bored.  When I'm in my extremely hot car (hotter than normal since the blower thing broke last week, right after I put in a new A/C compressor but before I could get it evacuated/charged, which should be it's own post... also, please excuse my lack of knowledge of car A/C terminology) with hostages friends who are forced to listen to Fun. (and me) until they too are completely IN. LOVE. with them as well (coughCrystalcough). 


Side note: You have not experienced either song until you've experienced them in order TOGETHER.  I can't explain it except to say it's mind blowing.  Seriously, tell me it's not.  You can't.  And if you do, I will not listen because you are just absolutely dead wrong.   


Both songs are at their best when speeding down the road, with all the windows down, the stereo volume all the way up and I am singing along at the top of my lungs.  I would apologize for those of you who have encountered me at a stop light/sign but I am way too much in love with the songs & the experience to care.  It is just that good.


My Some Nights review & Some Nights (Intro) video posted here.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

Thanks to Crowdtap I was able to go to a prescreening of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted last weekend. 

Not only did I get to go but I was able to have a plus 1.  While I do love me some cartoon movies (especially Disney/Pixar) I don't usually go to the movie theater to see them.  The last cartoon I went to see in theater was...Horton Hears A Who and that was because my (great) niece & nephew specifically asked me to go.  I had about 6 "age appropriate" candidates to choose from to be my date.  My top 3 choices (based on how excited they would be to see the movie) couldn't go, which was a major bummer since their excitement was what made me want to see the movie.  I lucked out though because my niece Elizabeth wanted to go (which I would have never ever had guessed) and was just as excited (if not more excited) even though she's 25 years old.

Elizabeth & me

What made the prospect of going to the prescreening even more fun was the fact that one of my BFF's is also a Crowdtap member and was selected to go with her plus one (her 5 year old daughter).  Fun quality time with one of your favorite people is pretty cool... but fun quality time with three of your favorite people is awesome!

Crystal & Bug

I've heard there was a lot of confusion & miscommunication at some of the other events in different states but we were extremely lucky and didn't have a problem.  I can see how it could have/would have been confusing though.  There were lines outside the theater, lines inside the theater and not always clearly marked places/people you needed to see to get entrance.  Again, we were lucky and figured it out fairly easy.  


Upon entering the theater there was a large event table in front of one of the designated theaters, a smaller event table in front of another designated theater, and a corner set up specifically to entertain the little "Zoosters".  That corner was filled with penguins.  Let me say that again...PENGUINS!  Real.  Live.  PENGUINS!!


I'm pretty sure they were of the Magellanic Penguin variety.  There was two of them and they were awesome!  They were behind a plexiglass set up with two wranglers and all the little kids could go and sit right up in front of the plexiglass and hang out.  I seriously considered skipping the movie and hanging out with the penguins instead.

Bug & the PENGUINS!

I didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted with the Penguins nor did I manage to grab a photo for myself because we ended up in the worst. concession. line. EVER!  The lady in front of us was ordering for at least 10 (no exaggeration!) and it was the slowest process ever.  By the time we got to our designated theater (the small one) there was no good seats where the 4 of us could sit together, so we sat in the middle of the 2nd row.  


On our way into the theater we discovered that we were seeing the 3D version.  I know the movie poster (which I got from the Crowdtap site) says 3D but I never picked up on that prior to going to the movie.  I was extremely nervous about being in the 2nd row (I got sea sick while sitting there when I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian -as a chaperon for a b-day party-) and especially since it was 3D.  Luckily, I had no problems.  


The movie was cute and exactly what most cartoons are... extremely silly.  It still had a good message threaded through the zoosters adventures.  I haven't seen that much florescent colors since I was a child in the 80's.  I am not a dabbler in the psychedelic drugs (or any drugs for that matter) but I'm guessing a trip would totally feel like watching half of this movie.  All in all it kept all the kids around us entertained, and I assume all the kids not around us.  The penguins are probably still my favorite of the zooster group but they strictly provide the comic moments and don't have to do any of the heavy lifting the other central characters have to.  It's a perfect silly movie to go take your kids to see this summer.

The Quiet Conclusion of The POF Project

I've come to think of this whole online dating this as "The POF Project".  I would like to say I came, I saw, I conquered but honestly it is I came, I saw, I quietly ran away & am currently in hiding.  Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people?!  And by people, I mean men on POF.  And by men, I mean it in the loosest term available.  If I had to put it in POF terms there was less fish in the pond than there were guppies.  Nobody wants to take home a guppy.  I do realize that that is all I have ever been able to catch but I had have big hopes.   And that will conclude my ridiculous use of "POF" terms, sorry.


So after my two perfectly nice but unsparktafying dates I wanted to go on at least one date I was actually excited about.  After asking daily if I could quit yet and was told no, I figured it was a good compromise.   I had 4 guys on the line, all had potential to be a date I was excited about.  One went on vacation to Hawaii and apparently never came back.  One guy apparently couldn't handle the fact that I wasn't ready to give him my # yet.  One guy finally, FINALLY asked if I wanted to go out, to which I said yes but when our schedules didn't match up on the first try he jumped ship.  And the last one asked me out, I accepted and then he completely fell off the face of the earth.  All had potential to have funny stories told about them.  


The first guy I can't really remember much about.  Not a good sign, I know.


The second owned two swords.  Yes!  TWO. SWORDS.  One was from Ireland.  True story.  That may have been my first clue to run...not walk...quickly away.  He, also, had his own YouTube channel.


The third was extremely interesting but had the habit of having split personalities (?).  The fun one and the one who liked to, what I refer to as, "Horse Whisper" me.  He talked to me like I imagine you would to a skittish horse you are trying to "break".  A lot of the time I felt I had to jump through hoops to maintain his attention.  I'd back off and he's start being normal fun guy again.  It was weird.  I honestly was sort of relieved by the end that he apparently couldn't handle the fate that I had a very busy & booked up weekend.  I mean, he asked on Thursday for a Saturday date, what did he expect?!  


The last one was the one I was most disappointed about.  He was a "brain doctor"...for real, thank you Linkedin for verification, which wasn't even the most exciting or interesting thing about him.  In fact, it was a little intimidating but I bring it up because it was what we called him.  We being Karie, Crystal & I...since they were the angel & devil sitting on my shoulder through out this whole process.  He had a wicked sense of humor and rolled right along with mine and all the crazy, inappropriate (for online dating) things I threw out at him.   I have no clue why he asked me out & asked me what I had in mind to do and then totally disappeared after I accepted and suggested a date & something low key.  Really?!  I hope the fall off the face of the earth hurt just a little bit.  


Any guy I emailed first never responded.  Any guy I was talking to and asked if they wanted to meet up never responded after that.  What is the deal with that?!  Telling someone no or they're not interested is a bit awkward but it can be done and quite nicely too.  I know, because I did it.  Maybe not all the time but any time I had someone send me a genuine email or request I was nice enough to respond.  Especially if there was dialogue going on, I don't like wondering why someone just disappeared so I tried to not make others wonder.   Apparently, I was doing it wrong. 


I was over POF about 10 minutes seconds after going "live" and after a little more than a month I am so over it I don't have the right words to describe how over it all I actually am.  POF reminded me that men are idiots, and children no matter what their age, and a bunch of weirdo's who think women are dumb.  I've hidden my profile for the time being and will decided after a cooling down phase if I want to delete it completely or keep it for another trial run down the road.